Dancing With Danger
by Manquare
Summary: While investigating a planet rumoured to be under threat from Aliens, Kate Goldin - expert on paranormal lifeforms - suffers some strange personality changes that may end up saving her life when she has a close encounter with a deadly Warrior Alien...
1. Prologue

Note: The Xenomorph featured in this fic is based on the original creature design from 'Alien' in terms of its appearance and behaviour. This fic is also partly inspired by a theory on alien behaviour put forward in the graphic novel 'Labyrinth', which suggested that the aliens' hostile motives are based on 'seeing' fear, meaning that if a person was truly fearless, the alien would not attack...

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the 'Aliens' franchise - it is the rightful property of 20th Century Fox. And of course, the original Alien design belongs to the wonderful H R Giger. All recognisable concepts are being used for non-profit fanfic purposes only.

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Excerpt taken from 'The Girl, the Eagle, and the Octopus':

'_Kate had never been that good at finding her way around London, London being her native city and the place where her company and its affiliates were based. Well, the phrase 'her company' was generally an exaggeration - she just worked there. But it was often commented that she 'practically owned the place' – at nineteen years of age she was the youngest member, and yet she alone had faced more dangers, solved more mysteries, and conducted more research than the rest of the organization put together. It was her selfless love and enthusiasm for the strange and unusual, her unexplainable affinity for dangerous lifeforms, and the fact that dangerous lifeforms always seemed to have an affinity for _her_, that had earnt her a strange sort of respect in the science world, even if it was only in a 'that girl is a nutcase' sort of way._

_Rather less respectful was her belief that the aggressive creatures of this world and beyond should be able to do whatever the hell they feel like without having to worry about getting nuked by ignorant patriots. It was her opinion that humankind should get down off its high horse and stop thinking they had the right to destroy a creature just because it had dared to harm a human. After all, at the end of the day, humans were part of the animal kingdom too, and it was supposed to be 'survival of the fittest', not 'survival of the one with the most machine guns'._

_Despite this, Kate was certainly not a hippy who paraded around with an 'equal rights for rabbits' billboard on regular occasions. Her research was her only method of persuasion, her tool in helping people to understand, rather than destroy. Because of this, the small London-based team of freelance researchers were the only people that Kate would agree to work with, since they seemed to be just about the only ones who employed the 'look but don't touch' policy. Unfortunately, in the world of competitive scientific research, such places were never particularly famous or valuable. Instead, the organization's investigations and missions were sponsored by larger companies who then bought the researchers' findings for use in their own projects. And it was a good profitable system, more or less. There were times when Kate worried about what sort of 'projects' her research was being used for, but at the end of the day, there was a limit to how ethical a person could be before realising that it wasn't making them any money.' _


	2. Chapter1: Under Pressure

It was Kate's first time in Space – her first trip away from planet Earth. And as she stared through a small, smeary window at the endless inky blackness of the cosmos, she was still having a hard time taking in the fact that the metal shell of a clunky old space shuttle was the only thing standing between her and an infinite vacuum. Kate shuddered and stepped back from the window, her eyes wide and fretful.

Even in this day and age, when space travel was all too common, Kate had always preferred to keep her feet firmly on the ground of her home planet. Despite the fact that Earth was becoming a bit run-down in recent years (due to the Company putting all its time and money into colonising other planets), a good majority of civilization still remained faithful to Earth, and for the most part, Kate was one of them. It was not that Kate had never been tempted by the idea of exploring other worlds, but it was the whole ordeal of getting there that put her off. She simply did not trust her life with man-made intergalactic transport. On the other hand, she was meant to be a researcher for paranormal and _extra-terrestrial _lifeforms after all, and sometimes simply waiting for the extra-terrestrials to come to _her_ didn't give very good results.

But then, somewhere along the time, there will always come an offer that you just can't afford to refuse, no matter what peril there might be.

Kate had been offered the chance to visit a planet that was rumoured to be under threat from the most feared, and most fascinating, alien species in the known universe – the Xenomorphs.

Those eerie, hostile, relentless aliens who had quickly become hated by mankind due to their nasty habit of using humans as living baby-carriers. They were Kate's personal favourites, of course, and her main field of study. And yet she had never seen a live one. Well, she'd seen a live 'face-hugger' once – a science laboratory had gotten hold of one somehow, and had invited Kate over to take a look. But she'd only managed to get a few precious glimpses of it before the spidery creature was abruptly killed, for even with three grown men trying to restrain it, it had still come very close to attaching itself to the face of an over-curious scientist.

But the larval stage of the aliens was only the tip of the iceberg as far as Kate was concerned. It was the adult stage that she had always been most interested in, for it was at that stage that the creature ceased to be a horrendous parasite, and changed into something that was both terrifying and oddly beautiful. Kate was extremely well learned in the ways of the Xenomorph – considered an expert by many. But what use was all of it, if she'd never had any real first-hand experience? Fatality be damned – Kate would have given anything to see a real live adult Xenomorph standing right in front of her.

And this – this _voyage_ that she was now on – was the most extreme 'anything' that Kate had in mind. But it would be worth it, as long as the rumours were true. And she wasn't alone, at least that was something. Apart from the few who couldn't make it (or the ones who simply had the sense not to embark on a potentially life-threatening mission), all the other members of Kate's research team were along for the ride. It was a traditionally small team though, consisting of three males and two females including Kate – a rag-tag bunch of ambitious young adults.

First, there was Ana – the dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty of Spanish origin. Practical and calm, she took her work very seriously. Her scathing wit, bold confidence and no-nonsense attitude had earnt her the role of 'femme fatale' in the group, even though Kate could often be just as bad.

Then there was Jeff – Jeff the Joker. A lovable rogue, though sometimes tiresome, Jeff was the optimist of the group. At twenty-three years of age, Jeff was the oldest member, yet in most cases he was the least mature. He was a stout figure, usually seen wearing baggy shorts or trousers with a bright shirt and his cap on backwards. He had a mischievous, smiley face, and his hair was a shoulder-length sandy brown mop. Generally, as far as looks and manners went, he was the typical 'surfer dude' type. Though known for often not taking his work very seriously, Jeff was always full of lively enthusiasm, and was generally a fun person to be around.

Next was Rick – the reckless daredevil. A well-toned, charming tough-guy, and the sort who always preferred to be out taking wild risks and having adventures rather than sitting in the safety of the office. Though he had a habit of always wanting to leap into action at every given opportunity, he was also a deep-thinker with a detective's mind.

And then came Benji – the quiet one. A shy, mysterious young man with soulful, haunted eyes and unkempt yet attractive features. Always the follower and never the leader, Benji had a brilliant mind, yet rarely had the confidence to show it. He did his work quietly, conducting his research without argument or comment. But whenever he did share his thoughts or opinions with anyone, it would nearly always be with Kate. Generally, Benji would never speak to the other group members unless asked, but felt that he could always confide in Kate, for in her he saw a kindness that the others did not possess. But although Benji might have been shy of people, he was certainly not a coward – being selfless in times of need, and endlessly brave in times of hardship.

And then, of course, there was Kate – the green-eyed child of nature with a scruffy, slightly bohemian sense of fashion, and a natural, free-spirited air of beauty about her. It was difficult to define Kate's exact role in the group, for she seemed to incorporate traits from all the members – the confidence, the wit, the recklessness, and the mystery. She was often known as the most wacky and eccentric member, yet also the most kind and understanding. She was also commonly thought of as the 'animal charmer' or 'monster tamer', though this was something the Kate would always modestly deny...

And now here they all were, blasting through space on a travel-worn shuttle called the _Nestor_, at a speed that didn't even bear thinking about, out on their first team mission. If it wasn't for the ever-present perils of space-travel and the fact that their assignment was a potentially risky one, it might have seemed like a holiday, for the planet they were heading to was a curiosity in itself. 'Erebus' it was called – a small planet of muddy terrain, inhabited by small town of human colonists. The best thing about the planet was that its stable environment made it fit for human habitation without the need for any man-made atmosphere processors. Warmed by a nearby star, Erebus had a hot, tropical climate, yet on ground level it was damp and often uneven. The indigenous life on the planet included a vast array of heat-loving insects, an edible species of fish that dwelt in freshwater pools all over the planet, and a docile race of spindly wading creatures that could just barely be classified as birds. The colonists had also introduced a selection of Earth animals to the ecosystem – mostly things like chickens and cows, bred for their meat and dairy products. The colonists had gradually turned Erebus into a place that was as familiar as Earth, and yet not like Earth at all. Erebus was a place for people who preferred a more rustic way of living to the cold steel corridors of man-made environments, and generally it was just a very interesting place to be.

But just recently, while a space-station had been conducting its routine scan of the few nearby human-inhabited planets, it had picked up a faint reading of an unregistered non-indigenous lifeform present on Erebus. The security persona of the space-station were concerned by this, since the transport between Erebus and other planets was notorious for being loose with security and quarantine procedures, possibly due to people becoming lazy after shipping livestock back and forth for so many years, but also because the settlement on Erebus was not Company-endorsed, meaning that the colonists were generally left to fend for themselves.

Hence why the staff of the space-station were in no hurry to contact the nearest military facility and get them to send in the troops. They wouldn't even consider doing that unless they either lost contact with Erebus, or received a distress call, and so far neither had occurred. So instead, they had sent for a team of researchers to investigate the situation. And only if the researchers discovered the situation to be hazardous would the military then get involved. Overall, it seemed like a rather cold and heartless way to deal with a planet whose inhabitants could be in serious danger, but in the end, it was of course all a matter of time and money. And the fact that they had chosen to ship a team all the way from Earth made the whole thing seem like some sort of leisurely cruise.

As for the subject of Xenomorphs being the culprits, it was what Kate and her team members had been told to expect, but really it was only speculation – a mere rumour, a Chinese Whisper transcended from too many nervous murmurings. After all, the vicious aliens were becoming an all too common threat these days...

"We're all going to die." Kate muttered darkly, glaring at the window as if expecting a crack to appear in it.

"Well _that's_ optimistic..." said Rick as he wandered over to her, one eyebrow arched in concern.

The other members of the research team had been noticing the disturbing changes in Kate's personality ever since she'd first gotten onboard the shuttle. She'd been rapidly changing from cheerful and happy-go-lucky to distant, morbid and pessimistic. Fearing that Kate was suffering from some side-effect of space-travel, Ana had at one point gone for a quiet word with one of the crew members about it. The crew member had agreed with her assumption, saying that the stress of space-travel could sometimes have bad effects on those weren't used to it. All he could suggest was to give Kate some sedatives to keep her relaxed until it was time to go into hyper-sleep.

But hyper-sleep was the main part of the problem, for it was the thing that Kate was fretting most about. As if the space shuttle wasn't bad enough on its own, she would have to cope with being locked inside a glass tank, put to sleep against her will, and then put her complete trust in the shuttle's computers and auto-pilot. The idea of something going wrong while they were all asleep filled Kate with a primal fear that she couldn't repress. She felt like she was waiting to be buried alive.

The waiting was the worst part. They'd been travelling for approximately twenty-four hours now, but it would be a three month journey to Erebus, so now everyone onboard was waiting idly while the crew got everything set and ready for a long hyper-sleep. As much as the team tried to reassure Kate that trips to and from Erebus were routine and had been done countless times, her mood only continued to worsen to the point that she now seemed like a shadow of her former self.

"You _know_ that nothing will go wrong." Rick continued, trying for the umpteenth time to lighten his team mate's dark mood. "Nothing _ever_ goes wrong around you. You're our living luck charm!"

"But this is _different_!" Kate snapped in reply, whirling to face him. Her face was pale and traumatized. "This...this isn't like some person or creature that I can _trust_. This is us inside a broken-down old ship floating through an endless vacuum! Why am I the only one here who's bothered by that??"

Clutching her head in her hands, Kate sat down heavily on the seat behind her. Rick watched her sadly – his distress for her was evident on his face. Now he understood why Benji was keeping away from her – seeing their brave comrade reduced to a nervous wreck was unbearable.

Rick shifted his weight and idly scratched the back of his neck. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so he tried a different angle.

"It's normal to feel this way. Space travel is always a stress-out for first-timers. It's Benji and Jeff's first outing too, and they're pretty edgy. But I guess it just affects some people more than others..."

Kate was no longer looking at Rick, so he couldn't tell if she was listening or not. He continued regardless.

"Anyway, the _Nestor_ is just as safe as any aeroplane on Earth. I know it might not feel like it, but it's true. And hyper-sleep is about as safe as it gets. There haven't been any malfunctions for decades..."

"No _reported_ malfunctions." Kate mumbled, still staring at the window.

Before Rick could think of anything else to say, a loud bleeping noise reverberated around the ship, and an electronic voice sounded out:

"_Preparation for hyper-sleep phase complete. All personal please report to bay three for hyper-sleep phase. Thank you." _

__

All five members of the research team soon met up, and now they trudged down the corridor to bay three together. Jeff, who obviously had long since got over his nervousness, was now singing appropriately for the occasion,

"_Pressure...Pushing down on me, pressing down on you, no man ask for...Under pressure..._"

He was cut off abruptly by Ana, who elbowed him sharply in the ribs and hissed at him through gritted teeth, "_Not_ helping, Jeff."

Jeff grinned at her, and moments later continued singing in a much quieter voice.

"..._It's the terror of knowing what this world is about, watching some good friend screaming 'let me out'... Pray tomorrow, gets me higher..._"

He trailed off once again as Ana glared at him and gestured to Kate, who was walking just in front of them. Jeff fell silent after that, a guilty expression falling over his usually cheerful face.

Ever since the announcement had been made, Kate's fretting had abruptly ceased. Instead, she had slipped into an almost zombie-like state – her face was blank, her eyes were distant, and she hadn't spoken a word to anyone. She seemed to have retreated inside herself somehow, to somewhere where the physical world had no effect on her.

Soon the group had reached the hyper-sleep chambers, and strangely, Kate was one of the first to get into her allocated 'bed'. She slowly slid herself onto the narrow mattress, and then tensely lay back. It was comfortable – in the same way that a sterilised hospital bed was comfortable.

About a minute after she'd settled herself, the glass lid hanging over her head slowly began to descend. Kate squeezed her eyes shut, and did not open them until she heard the dreadful, hollow sound of the lid clicking shut. She stared around with wide eyes, swallowing rapidly and trying to keep her breathing calm. It was like being inside a glass coffin.

For a few minutes after, Kate could the shapes of people, probably crew members, moving back and forth. Then there was silence, and the overhead lights dimmed to almost darkness. Soon, Kate became aware that the temperature around her was rapidly dropping. Whimpering, she tried vainly to resist the heavy weariness educed by the growing chill, but it was no good. An unnatural sleep engulfed her, and then she knew no more.

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A few notes of interest: When I first came up with the idea for a team of paranormal researchers, I was greatly inspired by the Storm Chasers from the movie 'Twister'. Also, the appearance and personality of Benji was originally based off Buddy Cole from 'The Gift'. Oh, and while I'm at it, the 'Under Pressure' lyrics are copyright to Queen and David Bowie. Well, I hope this chapter has been engaging enough for y'all! I'll try to update as soon as possible!


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